The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-14
HUSBAND ANDLOVER.

the poignancy OF my childish grief was
in some measure alleviated when six
later my father brought me q
little playmate OF my own age. She
was his ward. and we grew from child
hood to girlhood beneath the same
roof and for my part l can say l loved
Natalie Chester as sister. How beau
tiful she was in the first flush OF her
peerless womanhood.
~ wonder will he be her latest con-
quest?" asked myself, when for the
first time Lindon Stafford and she
stood face to face He was my fathers
young assistant, and perhaps the
only man she ever met who, who pam
oplied in the armor of cold indiffer-
ence, seemed insensible to her charms.
And know this Indifference piqued a
vanity that the fattery of many
tongues had famed into a passion.
"Does it not occur to you Myrtle, I"
she said to me one afternoon, "that
our young doctor is a man of singu-
larly plegmatic temperament"
"He has never made love to you,
Natalie" l answered dryly. "Yet it
ought to be novel sensation to meet
a man who does not fall in love and
worship YOU"
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she
retorted with laugh: "Would it not
be a more novel sensation still to con-
strain him into idolatry. They say
that natures the least demonstrative
are capable OF the strongest feelings,
and that the spark once applied to
the latent fire you are treated to a
confagration.
She spoke lightly, but the glance
that flashed from the dusky beauty Of
her eyes convinced me that it all the
devices of q fascinating woman did
not fail her she would bring Lindon
Stafford to her feet. l, who watched
Mr.. Stafford keenly, saw that
he was struggling with a passion
that he felt would only bring
him unhappiness. But the hour had
come when strong mems souls would
be tried in the crucible of great at
fiction, and Lindon Stafford, stand
ing face to face with uncompromising
necessity, dare no longer fritter away
existence in ad1eam oflove. The ter.
rible scourge of yellow fever had swept
over Memphis, and within a week it
presented all the appearance OF city
of the dead. In their abiect terror the
people fled they cared not whittier,
and fear for the time being crushed all
the nobler instincts OF humanity from
hearts where craven seltishness pre-
dominated. My fathers first thought
was for Natalie's safety and mine,
and to this end he telegraphed
to Miss Chester's other guardian, who
was then o resident in a Northern
State. In due time that gentleman
arrived to carry his beautiful ward
and me tar from the reach of the inn
pending danger, but no remonstrance,
no entreaty could induce me to de-
sert what l conceived to be my post
of duty. Shall I ever forget that
night when Natalie left us? Before
bidding her good-by I had hurried up
stairs for parcel she had forgotten,
and in returning in a minute or so to
find DR.. Stafford in the room, I
paused outside the door.
II intended to say FAREWELL" she
said as, with downcast eyes, she held
out her hand.
"You must think me very cowardly
to flee from danger while Myrtle in
sists on remaining"
"Miss Craig's place is by her father 8
side" he answered; but it would be
worse than madness in your friends to
allow you to incur risks that could
bring no possible good to any one.
And then you are too young and
beautiful to die"
"And if this parting should be for
ever what would you say to me, Mr..
Stafford?"
81 would say farewell-only fare
well," he replied, evasively, as he
released her hand. Her eyes look
ed into his, and cry escaped
him as he caught her in his
arms, and if a mans love ever went
out to q woman it was in that linger-
ing kiss he pressed upon her lips. l
turned away, and, with trembling
limbs and sinking heart, stole quietly
upstairs. For / had learned 20 love
this man even with a hopelessness
that intensified passion which had
changed the current OF my life into q
channel whose source was bitterness
and sorrow. am not going to linger
over the days that followed when, as
a hospital nurse, tried to forget my
folly. Within two weeks the SOM
mons came to the only one that
loved me, and l was an orphan.
DR.. Stafford was also stricken
down, and nursed him through his
illness to recovery. and when the
scourge at length had passed away, !
found myself alone and almost friend
less in the world. One day Lindon
Stafford, while still pale and emaciat-
ed, came to me and asked me to be
his wife. knew too well he did not
love me. l knew his every thought
was with the beautiful Natalie In her
Northern home; but, oh, my God! /
could not let him leave me. and in the
blind fatalism OF a woman's love l
cheated myself into the belief that in
time l would win his heart. And
so we were married and the bridal
kiss he gave me, in it's coldness,
chilled my lips and heart. But | did
not marry him to indulge in vain re-
grets and Lindon Stafford was too
loyal gentleman, too sensitive to
truth and honor. to be other than the
kindest husband. The first year OF
my welded lite was drawing to close,
when one morning I received a
letter from Natalia. She was coming
south with her guardian for the winter
and would spend a day or two with
us, she wrote. She remained week
with us-for me q week OF mental tor
ture, for, as / said, my husband linger-
ed often by her side. ] feared the
smoldering fire OF an unforgotten love
had burned into a flame again within
his breast. e
It was Christmas eve, and Natalie Ne